Today our family walked in our first ever March of Dimes March for Babies. This walk was especially important because we did it in celebration of our premature son, Bronx, who survived respiratory distress syndrome.

Click here to read his story, or click the baby photo on my right sidebar (A Bronx Tale) to watch his video.

I have been organizing my team and collecting donations for this event since December, so I was really excited that the big day was finally here! And after all the months of hard work, our team has managed to raise $889! That is enough to provide some of the same lifesaving respiratory treatments that Bronx received in the hospital to three other premature babies. I am so proud that we were able to contribute so much to this wonderful organization. Again, a BIGthank you goes out to all our sponsors and walkers for making this amazing day possible.

Checking in Team Bronx

My sisters – walking for their nephew!

We were expecting a downpour, so we brought umbrellas. Luckily, we only had a slight mist around kickoff time and the rest of the walk remained rain-free (although, the drizzle did make some of my pictures a little foggy).

Bronx’s pennant on the MOD Field of Hope

Ready to stroll…

Kamryn – ready for a… safari?

Lee (Bronx’s uncle) showing off the Team Bronx tees.

Beginning our march…

Rickety old bridges make me nervous…

Mile 3 was supposed to be a big deal, because it was supposed to be a 3.7 mile walk. Then we passed a Mile 4 marker, and then we walked another half a mile. Someone got their math wrong…and I got extra exercise.

The modern version of the idealized 1950's house wife (see: June Cleaver). She's a stay-at-home-mom that needs day care, and a maid to free her up for lunch dates with other Suburban Princesses, and afternoons pool side. She needs a high wage earning spouse to cover her cost since she is an expense rather than a contributor to the household. Unlike her 1950's predecessor she has no useful household skills; i.e. laundry, cooking, sewing. Typically the only thing she can make for dinner are reservations. If she encounters a single working mother and mentions how hard her life is she is most likely to be jerked bald and then beaten to death by said single working mother.

Example:

"Dude are you going to marry her?" "No, I can't afford her. She wants to be a Suburban Princess."

Bronx is in a Funny Baby contest for the March of Dimes and Famous Footwear!I need you, my fellow bloggy friends to vote for him!

It’s simple, just click the photo above and it will take you to this same picture in Famous Footwear’s Facebook album. (You will need to become a fan of Famous Footwear on Facebook to be able to vote).Then, all you have to do is “like” the photo!

Let’s make Bronx the spokesbaby for Famous Footwear’s March of Dimes Campaign! Thanks for your support!

And if you feel like getting cozy with my menu bar, you can check out momView, a section that I am beginning (and will continue) to fill with unbiased, honest-to-blog product reviews of everything I have ever bought or been given since my journey to motherhood began almost 4 years ago.

In addition, if you're into product-related ramblings, you may also want to read about the scary world of recalls as described in my previous post. It will make you question the safety of almost everything you have ever bought. Especially if you have a child.

If you like anything that you see…feel free to grab my button or click the “follow me” sneakers in the lower left sidebar. I’ll stalk you if you stalk me.

To all companies that manufacture potentially dangerous children’s products…

Thanks for making my kids your own personal guinea pigs.

At least my babies have survived your freaky experiments, despite the complete lack of regard for their safety.

Ah, and thanks for letting us know that their well-being was hanging in the balance by issuing those wonderful recalls, months or even years after my children were already at risk by actively using whatever death-trap we bought from you. (In good faith that maybe someone at your company had the foresight to do some kind of safety-testing on it. Or trusting that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had at least required you to do so.)

Turns out, I was just being naive.

Since 2007, I have had the unfortunate luck of participating in several recalls.

First, Kamryn had a Simplicity crib, which was recalled after he had outgrown it. The crib had a drop side that could become lose and fall, posing a suffocation hazard to the baby if he/she became entrapped between the mattress and the faulty drop side. Thankfully, ours never failed while in use.I also want to add that taking apart an entire crib is no easy task and loading it up to take it back to the store is absolutely not my idea of a fun afternoon. Needless to say, Bronx’s crib does not have a drop side.

We also had to return a Simplicity bassinet as part of a recall at the same time. The bassinet had bars that posed an entrapment hazard that could strangle an infant. Like this:This picture scares the crap out of me! And Kamryn had long outgrown this bassinet by the time that we were made aware of the recall. Obviously, it was a little too late. We are so grateful that we kept the bassinet right next to our bed the entire time he slept in it.

And yet another bullet dodged.

Then Kamryn had a teething rattle that was recalled. I actually had to take the teether away from my son as I was reading about the stupid recall in my inbox. The reason? The lion’s nose can become detached and pose a choking hazard.We sent it back to the company and were given a replacement. Still waiting to see if that one has any removable, easy-to-choke-on parts.

Then Graco announced that the backing on the seat pad of Kamryn’s infant carrier “may be prone to deterioration or tearing, especially after washing. If this occurs, children occupying the car seat may be able to remove the padding material from the back of the seat pad and place it in their mouths, posing a potential choking hazard.” Lovely.This actually happened. We washed it (because car seats can get gross, yuck!) and then we caught Kamryn eating pieces of the padding. I tried to cut any semi-loose pieces off the back of the seat pad, and shortly after, the recall popped up. We got a new seat pad from Graco. I’ve washed it and it seems to be holding up the way it should.

You’d think that the fun would be over, but no. More product nightmares came our way. Kamryn’s potty chair was recalled for a lead paint violation.See that small, purple rectangle with Pooh and his friends on it? Apparently, that is where all the lead paint is. The company, RC2 Corp, sent us a clear, plastic cover that snaps on over the area in question. A few months after we snapped the “permanent” cover in place, Kamryn ripped it off. Obviously, they didn’t take the fact that destructive toddlers use these things to potty train into consideration. Nice job, guys. I ordered two replacement covers this time around, just in case Kamryn decides to go around pretending he’s Hercules again.

And finally, the mother of all recalls.

I just found out a few weeks ago that the highchair I have owned for over three years has been recalled courtesy of those great folks over at Graco again.This time, the problem is that the rear leg braces can crack or leg screws can fall out and the chair can unexpectedly tip over, posing a fall hazard to children.Considering that both of my children have spent considerable amounts of time in this high chair, I find this recall to be a bit troubling. What is more aggravating is Graco’s remedy – a free, but insane repair kit.

It comes complete with a daunting 10-page instruction manual,

some screws, and whatever the hell this thing is.

Thanks for the easy fix, Graco. I’d rather drag it back to the store and trade it in for a completely different high chair altogether. Instead, I now have a small home-improvement project on my hands. You could have at least included some Advil in that convenient little repair kit you sent me.

Bottom line: These damned recalls are getting on my nerves!

I guess I should just be thanking my lucky stars that we don’t own a Toyota. Oh, snap!

Tonight is the last chance to enter the Team Bronx Giveaway for the March of Dimes March for Babies! You can win an 8x8 custom photobook from Shutterfly! These books make the ultimate photo album, you just upload your photos to Shutterfly and design a layout and they send you a professionally printed, amazing-looking book! I made one for both of my kids, one for Kamryn’s first year and one about Bronx’s incredible birth story. But you can make one about whatever you want using whatever photos you wish to tell a great story! You will love it!So, here is how you can win one of your very own:

Click on the March of Dimes Banner below my blog title above or visit www.marchforbabies.org/gizmobarbie and make a secure tax-deductable donation to Team Bronx! Even as little as a dollar will get you entered and every dollar you donate will give you one entry in the drawing! So, if you donate $10, you will get 10 chances to win!

I will do a random drawing Monday after midnight (Which means probably sometime on Tuesday) and then I will name the winner on this blog and on Facebook!

Good luck and Thanks for being a Hero for Babies!

If you want to know more about Bronx and why our family is walking for the March of Dimes click here.

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Funds raised in March for Babies support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And they will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.